Scunthorpe biker dies after crashing into the back of camper van

Geoffrey Hodgetts, 65, died following a crash on the A1084 at Searby by Owmby (Image: Google Maps)

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A motorcyclist who died after crashing into the back of a camper van could have become distracted by other bikers riding in the opposite direction in the moments leading up to the accident.

Geoffrey Hodgetts, 65, of Scunthorpe, died of injuries sustained in a crash on the A1084 at Searby by Owmby.

An inquest into his death heard Mr Hodgetts was travelling south-east on the road, near Caistor, when his red and black MV Agusta 1800 Brutali hit a white Vauxhall Vivaro van it was travelling behind at around 1.30pm on Sunday, June 30.

A group of up to 25 motorcyclists were riding the other way in the moments before and the hearing was told it was likely he acknowledged them and was distracted.

The inquest, at Lincoln Cathedral Centre, heard the camper van had been forced to brake suddenly when the car in front of it made a late signal to turn right at the Owmby Hill junction.

Mr Hodgetts made an attempt to brake and move away from the van into the centre of the road but instead, he crashed into the back of it on the passenger side and was knocked off his bike onto a grass verge at the side of the road, Lincolnshire Live reports.

The A1084 at Searby by Owmby, near Caistor (Image: Google Maps)

Luke Bartlett, the van driver, was travelling home to Bottesford at the time of the crash and told the inquest he was forced to brake so suddenly his dog slid forward off the rear seat.

He said: "I heard a massive bang behind me. I hadn't seen or heard anything prior to this.

"I then moved the vehicle off to the side and stopped. I went to the back and there was no damage to the car behind me.

"I saw people running to my right - they were helping a rider who appeared to be badly injured. He was breathing but on occasion stopped."

PC Raymond Holloway, of Lincolnshire Police, told the inquest that he believed distraction was the most likely cause of this collision.

He said it was common for motorcyclists to acknowledge each other as they pass on the road.

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Police reviewed dashcam footage from Mr Hodgetts' motorcycle which indicated he was travelling above the road's speed limit of 60mph, reaching speeds of 70mph while overtaking a car on a bend before travelling at 63mph just before the accident.

But he said he did not believe this contributed to the collision as there was sufficient time for Mr Hodgetts to react to the van, which was 100 metres in front of him.

PC Holloway said it was likely that the speed limit would be reduced on the A1084 as part of a "number of changes" being implemented using funding allocated to make Lincolnshire's roads safer.

He added that while the footage indicated the van's brake lights were clearly showing, a bike rack on the back of the vehicle may have obscured this, while another contributing factor could have been an overgrown hedge which had slightly obscured a sign alerting motorists to the right turn.

A Lincolnshire Police officer said he believed distraction was the most likely cause of the crash

Neither Mr Bartlett or Mr Hodgetts were found to have been distracted by a mobile phone or have any drink or drugs in their system.

In his conclusion, coroner Paul Smith said: "What I can say is that whether he was travelling at 60mph, or in excess that, he would still have had time to stop or come to a standstill.

"It is not possible to say why he was not aware. The most possible explanation is that his attention was drawn to the motorcyclists travelling in the opposite direction.

"He died undoubtedly of injuries received in an road traffic collision."